Sensationalised headlines and the truth of a “sales figure collapse”

I read the headline “Shock fall-through figures show almost 50% of sales collapsing” this week and thought, oh no. But as is always the case, the devil is in the detail…. So firstly, let’s examine the detail. The article from Estate Agent Today was based on data from a ‘quick buy’ property company. Granted, the […]
With 45% of Medway HMO owners living outside of the Medway towns, could smartphones replace cheap letting agents?

There are very few people who have not succumbed to the ease of a smartphone. Those that haven’t – I’m in awe. For me, my phone is instant access to every aspect of my business and – as for many I’m sure – has become a fairly permanent extension of my forearm. But is it […]
Autumn 2018 Budget update for landlords

Following on from my landlords tax post, the autumn Budget didn’t exactly deliver the good news we had perhaps hoped for. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond has given very little in the way of help for property investors in Medway or anywhere really. Anticipated waivers of Capital Gains Tax for landlords selling to […]
Is HMO saturation of the property market an issue in Medway?

August was huge month for my HMO management company HomeShare, with thirty eight rooms let, thirty tenants checked in and seventy one newly refurbished rooms becoming available across Medway, Folkestone, Dartford, Catford and Woolwich. With fantastic reviews from both happy landlords and tenants, you’d think all would be well in HMO land, right? We are […]
Buy-to-let investors, here’s my tips for making a successful investment

It seems spring has finally arrived but the continuously bad weather of the long, dark winter did result in a slight increase in the number of maintenance calls on our rental properties. I like to ensure all of our properties are maintained to a high standard to provide great quality accommodation to our tenants and […]
Should Medway’s industrial and retail properties be included in an investor’s portfolio?

Five huge new retail stores and a raised car park at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre were approved by councillors this month. It seems that while Kent and Medway has not been totally untouched by the economic uncertainty of Brexit, business activity and demand for retail property is still enjoying growth. As a relatively affordable area […]
A development in Hempstead halts but the news is sunny across Medway

News from a controversial housing development in Hempstead is that work has been halted because of a dispute over the ownership of the land. The proposed development of the land on Gibraltar Farm is for 450 homes to be built on farmland in Ham Lane. Initial the planning permission was rejected by the council but […]
Letting agent fee ban won’t come into force until spring 2019

January is off to flying start for me. We’ve signed up our first franchisee for Home-Share who will be bringing this unique business model and excellent brand to Bexley. Alongside that, we have been helping many landlords looking to invest in the area with advice and guidance. The lettings fee ban Something that has been […]
Figures for the top buy-to-let rental yields across the UK

I’ve just come back from another meeting with a HMO landlord who wants me to take over management of his 5 bed HMO in Gillingham Road. An estate agent himself, he knows the property market really well but after losing two tenants, he simply doesn’t have the time to find new ones, complete the reference […]
Buying a house in the Medway towns? First timers and buy-to-let investors, here’s some facts you might like to know.

I was at the Medway Business Awards on Friday night and was chatting to one of the leaders of the Medway Regeneration Project. We were discussing the huge salaries required to buy a house in each Kent town. It piqued my interest to say the least. I had a look online at a tool oddly […]